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UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title The Monumental Villa at Palazzi di Casignana and the Roman Elite in Calabria (Italy) during the Fourth Century AD Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2jf6g36f Author Bruni, Maria Gabriella Publication Date 2009 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California The Monumental Villa at Palazzi di Casignana and the Roman Elite in Calabria (Italy) during the Fourth Century AD. by Maria Gabriella Bruni A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Classical Archaeology in the GRADUATE DIVISION of the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Committee in Charge Professor Christopher H. Hallett, Chair Professor Ronald S. Stroud Professor Anthony W. Bulloch Professor Carlos F. Noreña Fall 2009 The Monumental Villa at Palazzi di Casignana and the Roman Elite in Calabria (Italy) during the Fourth Century AD. Copyright 2009 Maria Gabriella Bruni Dedication To my parents, Ken and my children. i AKNOWLEDGMENTS I am extremely grateful to my advisor Professor Christopher H. Hallett and to the other members of my dissertation committee. Their excellent guidance and encouragement during the major developments of this dissertation, and the whole course of my graduate studies, were crucial and precious. I am also thankful to the Superintendence of the Archaeological Treasures of Reggio Calabria for granting me access to the site of the Villa at Palazzi di Casignana and its archaeological archives. A heartfelt thank you to the Superintendent of Locri Claudio Sabbione and to Eleonora Grillo who have introduced me to the villa and guided me through its marvelous structures. Lastly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my husband Ken, my sister Sonia, Michael Maldonado, my children, my family and friends. Their love and support were essential during my graduate studies at UC Berkeley. ii Table of Content Introduction 1 Chapter one: The geography and a brief historical survey of Bruttii (Calabria, Italy) 4 Chapter two: The layout of the Villa at Palazzi di Casignana 10 Chapter three: The archaeological area of the villa 19 Chapter four: The monumentality phase of the villa in the fourth century AD 30 Chapter five: The mosaics 87 Chapter six: The late imperial villas near Locri 142 Chapter seven: Rural estate and urban context 161 Chapter eight: The economy of the fourth century elite and that of Bruttii 171 Chapter nine: Room I and its function in the fourth century AD 205 Chapter ten: Christianity in fourth century Bruttii 263 Conclusions 282 Bibliography 285 iii Abstract The Monumental Villa at Palazzi di Casignana and the Roman Elite in Calabria (Italy) during the Fourth Century AD. by Maria Gabriella Bruni Doctor of Philosophy in Classical Archaeology University of California, Berkeley Professor Christopher H. Hallett, Chair In the fourth century AD, the early imperial Villa at Palazzi di Casignana, located on the Ionian coast, 15 km south of the ancient Greek colony of Locri (Italy) was rebuilt on a grand scale. The addition of two sets of baths, apsidal rooms, lavish wall marble veneers, and exquisite floor mosaics made it comparable to other important Late Antique villas, such as that at Piazza Armerina in Sicily. This study examines the architecture and decorative apparatus of the villa in order to better understand the historical and cultural context of this fourth century remodeling. Comparative analysis with other Roman villas from the same period leads to some obvious and provocative hypotheses with regard to the function of the rooms, and the role of the surrounding estate. The opulence of the villa and the 15 hectares of land that surrounds it, are evidence that Locri and its territory hosted a wealthy elite in the fourth century AD. This study argues against a long-held belief in the field of archaeology and history that Bruttii was impoverished or insignificant during the late imperial period. Archaeological data from the region, in particular from the Villa at Palazzi di Casignana, has provided an incentive for us to re-examine ancient and modern sources in order to reassess the economic fortunes of Bruttii at this time. It is likely that the abundance of natural resources of the region prompted the late Roman elite to invest their fortunes in this part of the Empire. Literary and archaeological evidence suggests that wine-making was among the most profitable sources of revenue for the late Roman elite in Bruttii. A large number of wine amphorae (Keay 52) have been unearthed in the region, strongly suggesting that there was a large-scale production of wine in this area. Recent studies contend that these amphorae were manufactured in Bruttii, and there is ample archaeological evidence showing that they were exported to distant regions of the Empire, including Greece and France. Even at the Villa of Palazzi di Casignana, a large number of these amphorae have been discovered, indicating that the villa may have been an important local hub for wine-making. In addition, the largest and most lavish room of the Villa at Palazzi di Casignana, Room I, which is inserted in the seafront sector of the villa, is considered at length. By comparing this Room to similar ones found in other late Roman villas, this study investigates the possible functions of this space and the likely role that the villa had in the area of Locri during the fourth century AD. Although there have been extensive excavations at the villa’s site during the past few decades, and a detailed archaeological report has been recently published, it is premature to draw definite conclusions about the function and ownership of this outstanding complex. There is no doubt that the Villa at Palazzi di Casignana stands as a significant evidence that in Locri and in its territory a wealthy elite resided during the later centuries of the Roman history and that Roman Calabria is worthy of deeper and broader exploration. 1 INTRODUCTION An enormous imperial Roman villa scenically located on the Ionian coast of Bruttii (modern Calabria), 15 km south of the ancient Greek colony of Locri, was discovered at Palazzi di Casignana in 1964. Archaeological evidence from the site combined with new scholarly work illuminates the role played by the region during fourth century AD. In addition, this study disproves the long-held belief that this southern region of the Empire was impoverished and insignificant during the late Roman times. The Villa at Palazzi di Casignana spans 15 hectares and is exceptional in Southern Italy for its size, lavish floor mosaics and walls covered with marble veneers. More than 20 rooms are embellished with a superb variety of geometric and figural designs, representing the largest surviving collection of Roman floor mosaics in Bruttii (Calabria). The villa stands 300 meters from the Ionian Sea and is the nucleus of an extensive archaeological area worthy of much more scientific exploration. It was originally built in the first century AD, but rose towards a greater monumentality and lavishness between the end of the third and the first half of the fourth century AD, enduring through multiple significant renovations. In the fifth century, the villa ceased to be occupied for unknown reasons. The opulence displayed at the Villa at Palazzi di Casignana in the fourth century AD is in stark contrast with the traditional view that Bruttii was insignificant and underwent an irreparable decline in Roman times, particularly during the last centuries of the Empire. This study focuses on the fourth century AD phase of the villa and attempts to answer the most important questions raised by this complex. Who owned this complex and what was its function in the fourth century AD? What were the sources of wealth in Bruttii that may have prompted the enhancement and monumentality of the villa during this time? How involved was Bruttii in the development of the late Roman economy during the last centuries of the Roman Empire? What can we infer from the villa’s architectural and decorative elements to provide a better understanding of how the Roman elite lived and operated in Bruttii in the fourth century AD? In order to provide answers to these and related questions, this study is organized in two parts. The first part looks closely at the architecture and decorative apparatus of the villa (Chapter 1-5). The second part focuses on the society and economy of late imperial Bruttii (Chapter 6-10). Chapter 1 explains the geography and provides a brief historical survey of Calabria. Chapter 2 analyzes the villa’s layout and the property associated with it. Chapter 3 illustrates the archaeological area around the villa where buildings and burials were uncovered to show that the villa was the center of a rural settlement. In this section evidence is provided to argue against the hypothesis advanced by archaeologists that the villa was a statio. Chapter 4 describes the villa’s renovations during the fourth century AD, when the building reached its greatest level of monumentality and lavishness, and provides an interpretation of each room’s function in proper historical and social context. Chapter 5 analyzes the floor mosaics that decorate the villa, which represent the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the region. The majority of the mosaics inside the villa are geometric and a handful is figural. Mosaics are an invaluable tool for retrieving the function of interior spaces inside Roman dwellings. This study examines how the owner of Villa at Palazzi di Casignana favored particular figural or ornamental designs when decorating his residence, and used these designs to decorate specific rooms according to the function of each room. Figural scenes and geometric patterns of floor mosaics offer a wide range of information about the visual culture, and the economic and social identity of people who commissioned mosaics.